Maybe it’s because the second half of this winter has been especially harsh. Or because I just planned an impromptu trip to Florida to escape it.

Planning that trip got me thinking we have beaches in Wisconsin, too, and they aren’t just for the summer.

Last winter, I camped with friends at Point Beach State Forest, and we walked a couple miles along the Lake Michigan shore as the sun set to the west and painted the horizon to the east in a rainbow of colors above the soft, crashing waves of the lake. We had the stretch of sand to ourselves — something unlikely to happen on a summer weekend — and we didn’t have to worry about sunburn or bugs.

Lake Michigan beaches are great to visit in winter not just for the solitude but also the unique Hoth-like landscape that some transform into. Ice shelves, ice-canos and other formations build along the shore, with icebergs and pancake ice floating in picturesque puzzles offshore.

Here are some Lake Michigan beaches to check out in the winter, as much for their winter views as the other hiking opportunities nearby.

Views of Lake Michigan from the top of 100-foot bluffs are why most people visit Lion’s Den Gorge, and those views are just as stunning in winter. The park has some of the last undeveloped bluffs on the lake between Mequon and Port Washington, and it's one of only a few public access points to the lake in that stretch.

In winter, those bluff-top views include a look at the big pancake ice that forms on the lake. Trails and benches provide spots for taking in the blue-and-white views.

For a closer look at those ice formations, stairs at the north end of the park lead to a beach at the base of the bluff. Hike with caution: The stairs are in good shape, but they can be dangerous in winter when they’re covered in ice and snow.

During winter shelf ice forms on the rocky beach along the base of the bluff. You can hike along the snow-covered beach, but stay close to the bluffs — the shelf ice can be unstable and dangerous, especially near its edge.

Lion's Den Gorge is free to visit. Leashed pets are allowed, but they might have trouble navigating the many stairs to the beach in the winter.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center and Doctors Park, Bayside

Ice canos and other formations form along the shore at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside.(Photo: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center)

Sometimes the best outdoor spots are the ones closest to home — especially when winter weather makes driving dangerous.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee County is one of those spots.

The 185-acre nature center has 6 miles of trails, including a 0.8-mile trail along the lake that provides access to the nature center's beach.

During cold weather spells, that beach can feature large ice formations including ice-canos. The volcano-like formations develop when waves bash the shore and freeze quickly. The craters are sometimes big enough for a person to stand inside.

Schlitz Audubon is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; admission is $8 for adults, $5 for ages 3-17, $5 for active-duty military and veterans, and free for members. Dogs are not allowed at the nature center. Lakefront trails may be closed if they are too icy; call the nature center for conditions before heading out (414-352-2880).

The park is just north of Doctors Park, another lakefront spot where ice builds up in winter.

Ice builds up along the beach at Doctors Park in Bayside on March 1, 2019.(Photo: Chelsey Lewis/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The Main Trail, accessible on the north end of the park, is the best way to access the beach in winter. A Central Staircase also travels down the bluff from the parking lot, but the staircase is a treacherous mix of snow, ice, stone stairs and deteriorating wooden hand rails.

The Main Trail is a more gradual descent down the wooded bluff to the beach. There, you can walk a short stretch of beach north and south, including to the decommissioned WPA-era bathhouse.

Leashed dogs are allowed on the trails at Doctors Park but not at the beach.

Point Beach State Forest, Two Rivers

The moon rises over Lake Michigan at Point Beach State Forest in Two Rivers on Jan. 27, 2018.(Photo: Chelsey Lewis/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

This state forest sits along six miles of sandy Lake Michigan shoreline.

Access the beach from the north end of the park near the nature center, and follow the shoreline south to the Rawley Point Lighthouse. It’s still a working lighthouse, so you can’t go inside, but you can snap photos from the snowy beach, then continue south.

Dogs are allowed on the beach south of the lighthouse, so start here if you brought your best friend. Continue south and look for a small campsite sign in the dunes above the beach. The sign marks kayak campsites that are part of the Lake Michigan Water Trail.

Hike up to the sites to pick up the Ice Age Trail. A 5-mile segment of the trail travels the length of the 3,000-acre forest. Follow the trail back north through sandy swales and wooded ridges of white pine, hemlock, white cedar, maple and birch. You might need snowshoes or cleats for this wooded stretch.

Point Beach requires a state parks admission sticker ($8/day, $28/year).

Kohler-Andrae State Park, Sheboygan

Patches of snow dot the dunes along Lake Michigan at Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan on March 10, 2018.(Photo: Chelsey Lewis/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Like Point Beach, Kohler-Andrae's beach is smaller these days due to higher lake levels. But this park is worth visiting in the winter as much for the sand along the lake as the sand inland.

Kohler Park Dunes State Natural Area protects one mile of sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shore. A two-mile cordwalk traverses those scenic dunes, where sand and snow mix with golden grasses and sedges in winter. The cordwalk includes a few overlooks for taking in the dunes, the Lake Michigan shore and deer that like to frequent the area.

Stay on the cordwalk and designated trails when you’re hiking — don’t follow others’ footsteps up the dunes, which can destabilize the fragile ecosystem. Pets are allowed on designated sections of the cordwalk as well as the beach north of the nature center.

Kohler-Andrae requires a state parks admission sticker.

Crescent Beach, Algoma

Mounds of snow look like waves off Crescent Beach in Algoma following the Jan. 14-15, 2018 snowstorm that dropped 9 inches of it on the city.(Photo: John Walch/Submitted)

This sand beach includes an accessible boardwalk that stretches for half a mile along Lake Michigan. In winter, ice shelves build up along the shore. Leashed dogs are allowed on the boardwalk year-round and on the beach October through April.

To the north, the picturesque Algoma Pierhead Light stands ready for photographs, framed by ice that builds on the breakwater. Look for bald eagles as well, which like to nest and feed along the Ahnapee River where it meets the lake.

The beach is walking distance from Algoma’s quaint downtown area, which includes spots like Skaliwags, with the tagline "Food That's 5 Star in a Crazy Little Dive Bar"; Ahnapee Brewery, serving a variety of brews in a converted garage; and von Stiehl, Wisconsin’s oldest licensed winery.

Crescent Beach is free to visit.

Cave Point County Park, Sturgeon Bay

Cave Point County Park takes on a coat of ice in winter.(Photo: Jon Jarosh/DCVB)

Cave Point has a beach of the white-stone instead of white-sand variety.

But the park's cliffs are the real showstopper, especially in winter when waves bashing against the shore create a curtain of ice framed by the aquamarine water below and evergreens above.

Trails wind through those evergreens on the cliffs. Be careful here: Large waves can coat the top of the cliffs in ice, and there are no guardrails. In February, a Neenah man was taking photos along the cliffs before he was reported missing; authorities are still searching for him.

South of Cave Point, Whitefish Dunes State Park used to have one of the best beaches in the state. But high Lake Michigan water levels have decreased the size of the sandy beach, so much so that it is no longer accessible from the north end near the park office. This winter, the beach is completely inaccessible.

Cave Point is free to visit; Whitefish Dunes requires a state parks admission sticker.

Do not hike or climb on ice formations along shore. There’s the obvious risk of slipping and falling into open water, but ice shelves also can contain hidden crevices and weak spots that might not hold your weight.